Help Center

Find answers to common questions about Wick Metrics

Getting Started Free Calculator Products Materials Wick Testing Company Referrals Settings

Getting Started

What is Wick Metrics?

Wick Metrics is a comprehensive business management platform designed specifically for candle makers. It helps you manage your entire business from product development to inventory management, all in one place. Whether you're a hobbyist just starting out or an experienced maker, Wick Metrics adapts to your needs.

How do I get started?

After signing up, follow the setup wizard on your dashboard:

Add your fragrance oils and materials
Create your first product
Start tracking your costs and testing wicks
Optional: Set up your company information (business registration, insurance)

Is my data secure?

Absolutely. Your data is encrypted and isolated from other users. We never share or sell your business data. Read our Security page for complete details.

Can I access Wick Metrics on my phone?

Yes! Wick Metrics is fully responsive and optimized for mobile use.

What if I need help?

Contact our support team at support@wickmetrics.com. We typically respond within 24 hours on weekdays. You can also check this Help Center for answers to common questions.

Free Candle Cost Calculator

What is the Free Candle Cost Calculator?

The Wick Metrics Free Candle Cost Calculator is a professional-grade tool available to everyone—no sign-up required. It helps candle makers calculate the true cost of making a candle, including materials, packaging, shipping, labor, and profit margins.

Who should use the calculator?

The calculator is perfect for:

New candle makers figuring out if their pricing is profitable
Hobbyists wanting to understand their costs before selling
Established makers testing new product ideas or formulas
Wholesale sellers calculating margins for different price points
Anyone who needs quick cost calculations without committing to a platform

What can I calculate?

The calculator includes comprehensive cost tracking for:

Wax: Calculate cost per ounce from bulk pricing
Fragrance Oil: Determine exact FO cost based on your fragrance load percentage
Vessels, Wicks, Lids, Labels: Per-unit costs from bulk purchases
Packaging: Add boxes, tissue, stickers, warning labels, etc.
Shipping: Include shipping costs if you offer free shipping
Additional Costs: Labor, overhead, private labeling
Pricing Analysis: See wholesale and retail profit margins instantly

How do I access the calculator?

Visit wickmetrics.com/calculator—there's no sign-up required and it's completely free. The calculator works on desktop and mobile, so you can calculate costs wherever you are.

Can I save my calculations?

The free calculator doesn't save your data—it's designed for quick, one-time calculations. If you want to save products, track materials inventory, manage multiple formulas, and access your calculations from anywhere, you can sign up for Wick Metrics. The full platform includes unlimited saved products, automatic inventory tracking, wick testing logs, financial reports, and much more.

How accurate are the calculations?

The calculator uses the same algorithms as the full Wick Metrics platform, which are designed by candle makers for candle makers. It automatically calculates wax and fragrance oil quantities based on your vessel size and fragrance load percentage, computes per-unit costs from bulk pricing, and provides real-time profit margin analysis. However, accuracy depends on the accuracy of the costs you enter—always use your actual supplier prices for the most reliable results.

What's the difference between the free calculator and Wick Metrics?

The free calculator provides one-time cost calculations. Wick Metrics is a complete business management platform:

Free Calculator: One-time calculations, no saving, no account needed
Wick Metrics Platform: Save unlimited products, track inventory, log wick tests, note your business documentation, and access from any device

Products

How do I add a new product?

To add a product:

Navigate to Products
Click "+ New Product"
Fill in product details
The system automatically calculates your cost of goods sold (COGS) and profit margins
Save your product—it's now in your catalog!

How do profit calculations work?

Wick Metrics automatically calculates your costs and profits:

COGS (Cost of Goods Sold): Sum of all materials used for a product
Retail Margin: (Retail Price - COGS) / Retail Price × 100
Wholesale Margin: (Wholesale Price - COGS) / Wholesale Price × 100

All calculations update in real-time as you adjust pricing or costs.

How do I calculate batch sizes?

Use the Batch Calculator to determine how much wax and fragrance oil you need for a specific number of candles. Just enter your vessel size, fragrance load, and quantity.

Can I duplicate a product?

Yes! To create a copy of an existing product:

Go to the product detail page
Click the "Duplicate" button (next to Edit)
A copy is created with "-copy" appended to the name
The copy is set to inactive by default
Make your changes (new scent, different vessel, etc.) and save

Can I blend multiple waxes or fragrance oils in a product?

Yes! Wick Metrics supports blends with up to 4 different waxes or fragrance oils. The process is the same for both:

In the Product form, go to the "Wax & Fragrance" section
Click "+ Add Wax" or "+ Add Fragrance Oil"
Select the item and set its percentage
Add more items as needed (up to 4 total for each)
Percentages must add up to 100%
Use "Auto-distribute" to evenly split remaining percentages

Wax example: 80% Soy Wax + 20% Coconut Wax

FO example: 50% Vanilla + 30% Cinnamon + 20% Clove

The COGS calculation automatically factors in each item's cost based on its percentage in the blend.

Materials

What's the difference between Materials and Fragrance Oils?

Materials are your physical supplies: wax, wicks, vessels, labels, etc. Track quantities, costs, and reorder points. Fragrance Oils have their own dedicated section because they require additional tracking like flash point, vanillin content, IFRA compliance, and usage priority (core/seasonal/testing).

Can I import fragrance oil data automatically?

Yes! When creating a new fragrance oil, paste the product URL from supported suppliers and click "Auto-fill." If available, the system will automatically extract the name, scent notes, flash point, safety information, and document links.

Which suppliers support auto-fill?

Auto-fill currently supports these suppliers:

Hive & Honey Candle Co.
CandleScience
Wellington Fragrance
Black Tie Barn
Midwest Fragrance Co.
Aztec Candle Supply
The Flaming Candle
Peach State Candle Supply
Natural State Fragrance
Dulceria Candle Supply
Fizzle Me That

Note: Some suppliers may not parse all fields due to how their website is built. If certain fields don't auto-fill, simply copy the information from the product page manually.

What's the Inventory tab in Materials?

The Inventory tab gives you a quick view of all your materials organized by category.

Wick Testing

Why is wick testing important?

The wick is the most critical component of a candle. An improperly sized wick can cause tunneling, sooting, poor scent throw, or even fire hazards. Testing ensures your candles burn safely and beautifully. Wick Metrics helps you track all your tests to find the perfect wick for each product.

How do I log a wick test?

To log a test:

Go to Wick Tests
Click "+ New Wick Test"
Select the product you're testing
Enter wick details (series, size, type)
Record burn observations: melt pool, flame height, mushrooming, sooting
Mark as Pass/Fail/Retest and note why
Mark as Winner if it's the perfect wick!

What should I look for during a burn test?

Key indicators of a good wick:

Melt Pool: Should reach edge of vessel within 2-4 hours
Flame Height: 1/2" to 1" is ideal
Mushrooming: Minimal carbon buildup on wick tip
Sooting: Little to no black smoke
Tunneling: No wax left on sides of vessel
Stability: Flame should be steady, not flickering excessively

Where can I find wick selection guides?

Here are a few supplier guides you may find helpful:

How are tests organized on the list?

Tests are grouped by Test ID, so all burn rounds for the same test appear under one card:

One Card Per Test: Instead of showing every burn round as a separate card, each unique test shows as one card with a summary
Round Count Badge: Purple badge shows how many burn rounds you've logged (e.g., "3 burns")
Latest Status: Shows pass/fail/retest from your most recent burn round
Expandable View: Click "Show all X rounds" to see individual burn rounds and their details
Quick Access: Click any round in the expanded view to see full details

What's the difference between a Setup and a Burn Round?

A Setup (Round 0) is when you pour your test candles and record the specifications—wick type, wax blend, fragrance, jar size, etc. This is your baseline before any burning.

A Burn Round is when you actually light the candle and record observations—melt pool, flame height, mushrooming, sooting, etc.

Tip: Many makers pour test candles on day 1, let them cure for 2 weeks, then do their first burn round on day 14+.

How do I log multiple burn rounds for the same test?

To log additional burns:

Find your test card on the Wick Tests page
Click the orange "Burn" button on the card
Fill in your burn observations (duration, melt pool, flame height, etc.)
Save—the new round is automatically linked to the same test!

All rounds share the same Test ID, so they're grouped together and easy to compare.

Referral Program

How does the referral program work?

Our referral program lets you earn free subscription months by sharing Wick Metrics with other candle makers:

Go to the Referrals page to get your unique referral code
When someone signs up using your link and becomes a paid subscriber, you earn 1 free month

When do I receive my free month credit?

You receive your free month credit when your referred friend becomes a paid subscriber. This happens when they complete their free trial and make their first payment. The credit is automatically added to your account and will be applied to your next billing cycle.

Can I track how many people used my referral link?

Yes! The Referrals page shows your complete statistics including link clicks, sign-ups, successful conversions, and total free months earned. You can monitor your referral performance in real-time.

Settings

What is the Setup Wizard?

When you first sign up, you'll see the Setup Wizard. This helps you configure Wick Metrics to match your needs:

Track Everything: Enables all features including inventory tracking and reorder reminders
Just Profit Calculations: Keeps things simple with just cost and profit calculators
Let Me Customize: Pick exactly which features you want

You can change these settings anytime from the Settings page.

What is Inventory Tracking?

Inventory Tracking lets you monitor how much of each material you have on hand. When enabled, you'll see a "Qty on Hand" field when adding materials and an "Inventory" tab in the Materials section. This is useful if you want to know when you're running low on supplies.

What are Reorder Reminders?

Reorder Reminders alert you when your inventory falls below a set threshold. For each material, you can set a "Reorder Point"—when your quantity on hand drops to or below this number, you'll see a warning. This requires Inventory Tracking to be enabled.

What is Production Tracking?

Production Tracking automatically updates your inventory when you log production batches. When enabled:

The Batch Calculator shows a "Log Production" button
Clicking it shows a preview of materials to be deducted
After confirming, materials are automatically deducted from inventory
Product inventory is increased by the quantity made
A production log entry is created for your records

This requires Inventory Tracking to be enabled. You can enable it in Settings.

How do I log production?

With Production Tracking enabled, go to the Batch Calculator:

Select a product from your catalog
Enter the quantity you made
Click "Calculate" to see materials needed
Click "Log Production" to see inventory preview
Review the materials that will be deducted
Click "Confirm Production" to update inventory

The system will deduct wax, fragrance oils, wicks, vessels, and other materials based on your product recipe.

What if I don't have enough materials?

If you try to log production when you don't have enough materials, the preview will show which items are insufficient with a warning. You can still log production anyway—materials will go negative to indicate you need to restock. This is useful if you've already made the candles and haven't updated your inventory yet.

What is Weighted Average Costing?

Weighted Average Costing automatically calculates your true material cost when you buy at different prices. When you add inventory and enter what you paid, the system blends the new cost with your existing inventory.

Example: You have 6oz of fragrance oil at $1.00/oz. You buy 16oz more at $1.50/oz. Your new average cost is $1.36/oz (not $1.50), and your product COGS updates automatically.

When adding inventory, click the quantity number and enter both the amount and cost paid. This gives you accurate profit calculations even when prices fluctuate.

How do I receive a shipment with multiple items?

Use the Receive Inventory page to log a complete shipment with shipping and tax allocation:

Enter the supplier name and date received
Add each item with quantity and cost
Enter shipping and tax totals (optional)
Preview landed costs and average price changes
Confirm to update all inventory and costs at once

Shipping and tax are allocated proportionally by item value, giving you accurate landed costs for COGS.

What is "landed cost"?

The true cost of an item including its share of shipping and taxes. For example, a $10 item in a $50 order with $10 shipping has a landed cost of $12 (the item is 20% of the order value, so it gets 20% of shipping costs). This gives you more accurate COGS calculations.

What is Log Sales?

A quick way to deduct product inventory after sales. On the Dashboard, enter quantities sold for multiple products at once, add optional notes (like "local market"), review the summary, then confirm to deduct all at once.

What's the difference between Log Sales and Production Tracking?

Log Sales deducts products you've sold (products you've sold leaving your inventory). Production Tracking deducts raw materials (wax, wicks, fragrance oil) when you make candles. They work together: Production Tracking adds to your product inventory, Log Sales removes from it.

What are "notes" on the Log Sales feature?

When logging sales from the dashboard, you can add optional notes to record context like "craft market Saturday", "Etsy order #1234", or "Wholesale". These notes are saved with each stock adjustment for your reference.

What are Custom Platforms?

Custom Platforms let you add your own sales channels (like BigCartel, Square, Faire, etc.) with their specific fee structures. This helps you see accurate profit calculations for all the places you sell.

Etsy and Shopify are included by default and cannot be edited. You can add as many custom platforms as you need.

How do I add a Custom Platform?

Go to Settings and scroll down to the Custom Platforms section. Click "Add Platform" and fill in:

Platform Name: Where you sell (e.g., BigCartel, Faire)
Payment Processor: How you accept payments (e.g., PayPal, Stripe)
Fee Percentage: The percent taken per transaction (e.g., 2.9%)
Fixed Fee: The flat fee per transaction (e.g., $0.30)

Your custom platforms will appear on all product pages in the Platform Profitability section.

Can I edit or delete Custom Platforms?

Yes! You can edit or delete any custom platform you've added. Go to Settings, find the platform in the Custom Platforms section, and click the edit (pencil) or delete (trash) icon.

Billing & Account

What are the pricing plans?

Wick Metrics offers monthly and annual subscription plans. Visit our pricing page for current rates and features. We offer a free trial so you can explore the platform before committing.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel anytime through your account settings. You'll retain access until the end of your current billing period. Your data is kept for 90 days after cancellation in case you want to reactivate.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Your data is retained for 90 days after cancellation. During this time, you can reactivate your account to restore full access. After 90 days, your data is permanently deleted.

Can I export my data?

Yes! You can export your data at any time by contacting support@wickmetrics.com.

Troubleshooting

I forgot my password. How do I reset it?

On the sign-in page, click "Forgot password?" and enter your email. You'll receive a secure link to reset your password. The link expires after 24 hours for security.

The auto-fill feature isn't working for my fragrance oil URL